by Jim Thompson |
Last Updated: December 15, 2023 Recently get a ticket you’re trying to dismiss? Are you looking to save some money on your car insurance? Has your boss recently required you to take a driver safety course as a condition of employment? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you are clearly in the market for a traffic school course. But what’s the best way to mark traffic school off your to-do list?
As with most anything else in our lives these days, the answer to that last question is “to-do” it online. Sure, you could go to a classroom, and classroom courses can be fun. However, if you lead the same busy life that most of us do, an internet course is probably the best option.
If you’ve already started shopping for a course, you might be overwhelmed at this point. We don’t blame you at all; Florida has a LOT of traffic school providers. So, how do you know where to begin?
We’d like to give you a hand here. We’re going to discuss eligibility requirements for Florida driver safety courses and give a quick review of the five Florida providers that we think are the best. And if don’t agree with us, we’re also going to provide a list of all the current providers in the state. Get ready to do some scrolling, it’s a pretty long list.
Who Is Eligible to Attend Traffic School?
The answer to that question depends on why you are taking the course. If you were taking it for a job requirement or for an insurance discount, there are no restrictions on whether or not you can take a course. On the other hand, if ticket dismissal is your goal, the Florida Department of Licensing and Regulation has some rules you must follow.
BTW—If this is your first time taking a course, you may notice that sometimes I say “driver safety” and other times I say “traffic school.” In Florida, courts call them “driver improvement courses” while some providers might call them defensive driving or driver safety classes. Not to worry; as long as the course is approved by the Florida DHSMV it will get the job done, no matter what it’s called.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) lays out some basic conditions for ticket dismissal.
- Drivers CAN attend traffic school if:
- Any driver charged with a moving or non-moving traffic violation that would result in points assessed to their driving record
- They have not attended traffic school for a violation in the last 12 months or have dismissed a ticket with defensive driving five times in the past
On the other hand…
- Drivers CAN NOT attend traffic school:
- For criminal offenses
- If the driver holds a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
The full process for ticket dismissal is individual by county. For example, Broward County says this:
- If you choose the traffic school route, you must pay the fine payment (along with an additional $7.00 driving school affidavit fee) and submit a completed Driving School Affidavit within 30 days from the date the citation was issued.
- Enroll with an approved State of Florida driving school and complete the driving school course within 90 days of your election. Upon completion, send the original certificate of completion to the Broward Clerk of Courts.
- You may not exceed five driving school elections in a lifetime. Failure to complete the driving school course within 90 days will result in the assessment of points, additional fees, and a possible driver’s license suspension.
- This option is not available if you have a commercial driver’s license or have been charged with exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 MPH.
You’ve checked with your county, and you are eligible, let’s find you a course.
Our Recommendations (The Top 5)
Florida’s Top-Rated, Florida DHSMV Approved Online Traffic Schools
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Let’s Break ‘Em Down
More than anything, online traffic school courses offer freedom and schedule flexibility not found in a classroom course. What makes one better than another? Let’s look at a few reasons, plus what their students say about them.
Defensive Driving By Ticket School
Ticket School offers courses in nearly every state and has been doing so for almost as long as online driving safety has been a thing. They have serviced hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers over the past 20+ years and couldn’t have done it without quality courses. Not flashy by any means, the information in their courses is presented memorably. The website is super easy to navigate, and their highly-rated, U.S.-based customer service team is available 24/7 in the unlikely event you encounter any difficulty while taking your course.
- What students are saying—
- Dru E. says, “This has been a very informative class. Thank you for opening my eyes!”
- Brian C. says, “The videos are good, and random questions throughout the course keep you focused.”
- Jeremy C. says, “I completely enjoyed the whole course.”
- Advantages of Traffic School
- Humorous
- Flexible
- Backed by Driver Training Associates
Aceable Online Traffic School
Now we turn our attention from one of the oldest courses in Florida to one of the newest, Aceable defensive driving. The company launched in 2006 with a revolutionary drivers ed phone app and they have been innovating and disrupting ever since. The company, headquartered in Austin, then developed a traffic school course on this same platform, making it hands down the best traffic school course to take on a mobile device. The course was developed by a team of driving experts and online learning specialists from Harvard so you can be sure the information contained in the course is not only accurate and powerful but is presented in a way to ensure maximum retention. Aceable is certainly the way to go for traffic school on the go.
- What students are saying—
- Eliseo says, “Absolutely amazing, highly recommended.”
- Logan says, “Amazing. Taught me a lot!”
- Emmett says, “The way Aceable is set up great for people who are working jobs and going to school.”
- Advantages of Aceable
- One-of-a-kind phone app
- Customer service is available through email, live chat, or social media
- Money-back guarantee
Traffic School by Online Traffic Education
OnlineTrafficEducation.com offers a user-friendly and interactive online traffic school course that is regularly updated to cover all essential topics for resolving tickets. Participants can take the courses at their own pace from the comfort of their homes, gaining the knowledge and skills necessary for safe and responsible driving.
OnlineTrafficEducation.com is dedicated to providing a hassle-free traffic school experience through comprehensive and engaging courses. Additionally, the platform boasts excellent 24/7 bilingual customer support for added convenience. Users can trust in the Florida DHSMV-certified programs offered by OnlineTrafficEducation.com, not only for record cleanup but also for becoming better informed and confident on the road.
- What students are saying—
- Caroline says, “The ability to do this in my own time at my own pace allowed me time to truly absorb everything covered.”
- Dawn says, “A fast, easy, and inexpensive way to complete traffic school.
- Frank says, “Online Traffic Education refreshed my knowledge of the road and gave me the confidence to trust myself and be more safe.”
- Advantages of Online Traffic Education
- “Pass or We Pay Guarantee“
- Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot
- Bilingual customer support
DefensiveDriving.com
This traffic school might be considered “the Grandaddy of them all.” After all, they have been at it long enough to nab the domain DefensiveDriving.com! You can’t argue with history. Opened in February of 200it’st’s been one of the top names in online education for over 20 years. Another fact that DefensiveDriving.com is proud of is their average 4.7 (out of 5) rating from over 100,000 reviews on ShopperApproved.com; you’re in good hands with this online course.
- What students are saying—
- Vanessa says, “Very easy site to navigate through…I feel the course has raised my driver awareness, and it would benefit all drivers!”
- David says, “Great and convenient!”
- Jennifer says, “I had a great experience with the site.”
- Advantages of DefensiveDriving.com
- Live chat and phone assistance are available
- Animations and videos to help make time go by faster
- Same-day certificate processing
I Drive Safely
I DriveSafely was one of the first online driver safety providers in the industry. They have served over 5,000,000 customers over their long history and have maintained a very good reputation. The school has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a nearly 5-star rating on TrustPilot.
- What students are saying—
- Mary N. says, “The course was easy to follow.”
- John S. says, “It was specific to my state and very thorough.”
- Janet W. says, “I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it w”s.”
- Advantages of I Drive Safely
- Trusted by 5,000,000 customers
- Great ratings by customers, Trustpilot, and the BBB
- Works well on mobile devices
If None of These “Float Your Boat”
Florida has more (a LOT more) online defensive driving/traffic school choices. Here’s a list of all the ones we know of.
If you have more questions about Florida traffic tickets, we have more answers.
Complete List of Florida DHSMV-Approved Online Traffic Schools
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